It Started With People, Not Marketing.
I didn't grow up dreaming about marketing. I wasn't the kid analyzing advertisements or imagining myself working on campaigns. When I started college, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do. But looking back, the signs were always there.
I've always been curious about people. Why they make certain decisions. What catches their attention. Why something resonates with one person but means absolutely nothing to someone else. I've always enjoyed conversations, especially with people whose experiences are different from mine.
Somewhere between growing up in California, moving away from home at seventeen, and building a life in Miami and Barcelona, I realized something: understanding people wasn't just something I enjoyed. It was something I was naturally good at. I just hadn't figured out what to do with it yet.
A Different Way of Seeing Things
I was born with albinism, a genetic condition that affects my vision. Naturally, my experience of the world has always been different. But my perspective comes from more than my vision. It comes from adapting to new environments, finding different ways to approach challenges, and learning from people along the way. Creativity isn't always about inventing something new. Sometimes it's recognizing possibilities other people haven't considered.
California, Miami, Barcelona: Three Places, Three Perspectives
Leaving home at seventeen changed my life. Miami introduced me to new cultures and ways of communicating. Barcelona brought another language, another culture, and another way of looking at everyday life. I've traveled to more than twenty countries, and the more I experience, the more curious I become about what influences people's choices.
Fashion is a perfect example. I've always loved how someone's style communicates personality, culture, confidence, or identity without saying a word. The same applies to brands. Why does one brand become part of someone's identity while another struggles to earn their attention? I wasn't just noticing what people liked anymore. I wanted to understand what made them care.
The Moment Marketing Made Sense
At the University of Miami, I was still figuring out where my strengths belonged professionally. I've always been a communicator. I enjoy meeting people, starting conversations, and listening. People often feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with me. When someone presents an idea or a problem, I naturally explore different angles. What if we looked at it from the customer's perspective? What if the message wasn't the problem, but how we communicated it?
As I studied advertising and marketing, those instincts connected with audience behavior, brand positioning, consumer insights, and creative development. Marketing gave me a way to combine curiosity about people with creativity and business.
Where Creativity Meets Strategy
A creative idea and an effective business idea aren't necessarily the same thing. A campaign can look beautiful, but if it doesn't connect with the right audience, what does it accomplish? That's what interests me about brand strategy and creative strategy: understanding who you're speaking to, what matters to them, and translating those insights into something meaningful.
Imagine a fashion brand entering a new international market. Would its existing message resonate there? Would its identity translate culturally? Living internationally taught me not to assume everyone thinks alike. For me, good marketing starts with understanding people. Great marketing turns that understanding into action.
Thinking Beyond the Campaign
Today I'm pursuing my master's degree in Management, focused on International Business, at EAE Business School in Barcelona. I'm building on my creative background with a stronger understanding of business strategy. I want to understand how ideas support business objectives: how brands differentiate themselves, influence consumer perception, and connect across markets. My goal is to work at the intersection of digital marketing, brand strategy, and creative strategy.
The Perspective I Bring
As I prepare for the next chapter of my career in San Francisco, I think about the experiences that shaped me. Albinism taught me to approach situations differently. Leaving home at seventeen taught me independence. Miami and Barcelona introduced me to new cultures. Travel taught me curiosity. Connecting with people taught me to listen before making assumptions. Together, those experiences shape how I approach creativity, communication, and business.
So, Why Marketing?
Because I've always been fascinated by people. Because I enjoy understanding different perspectives. Because I love taking an idea and exploring what it could become. And because creativity becomes more powerful when there's a strategy behind it.
I didn't choose marketing because I wanted to convince people to buy something. I chose it because I wanted to understand what makes people connect with something in the first place.
I may not see the world the way everyone else does. But I've spent my life learning to understand how other people see it. And that's exactly why I chose marketing.
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